Frozen spinach will be much tastier if you do one simple thing before cooking it

If you’re someone who struggles to eat a whole bag of fresh spinach, buying it frozen is a good method to cut down on waste. But it can sometimes turn out soggy or watery if it’s not cooked correctly — here’s the one key prep step to get it right every time

Home cooking becomes a lot more straightforward when you have a selection of versatile ingredients readily available to add into your meals. And if you are looking to be a little more mindful about what you eat, keeping your favourite fruits and vegetables in the freezer is an excellent approach.

Frozen produce is often frozen immediately after harvesting, meaning it keeps at its maximum freshness, while also being affordable and long-lasting. For those who struggle to get through an entire bag of fresh spinach, purchasing it frozen is a brilliant way to reduce waste.

However, if it isn’t prepared correctly, it can sometimes end up soggy or watery.

Home cooks have turned to Reddit to share their top tips on how to cook frozen spinach without it turning mushy, and one particular piece of advice cropped up time and time again.

Seeking some help, one user posted: “Some of our favorite holiday foods are spinach artichoke dip and creamed spinach, but I LOATHE the whole deal of messing with wet, slimy defrosted spinach. Squeezing out the water, squeezing out the water again, floating bits of green stuff on everything….any suggestions to make this easier and less messy?”

Fellow home cooks were quick to flood the post with answers, and the most popular suggestion required no additional ingredients whatsoever.

How to make frozen spinach taste better

According to Reddit’s community of home cooks, the key to improving frozen spinach is ensuring you remove every last drop of moisture before cooking.

One person said: “I squeeze the water out in my bare hands, one handful at a time until it’s all drained and in a bunch of tight little clumps. It is the simplest and most effective method I’ve found for getting super dry spinach every time.”

Another commented: “Allow it to defrost completely still in the bag. Snip off a small corner. Squeeze the bag, allowing the liquid to drain off thru the snipped corner. (Liquid is good for stock.) Voila, dry-ish spinach with clean hands.”

And someone else said: “I use a large mesh strainer. It’s big enough to dump a box of spinach in. I hold it over the sink and use a fork and press to remove the majority of the water.

“I’m usually just making it as a side dish and adding vinegar to it, so I rarely need it fully dry – but if I do, rolling in paper towels and pressing again gets the job done. Spread it out on more paper towels or a clean tea towel and let it sit for a bit, prepping it ahead will let it air dry well if there’s still more moisture left than you prefer.”

Even if you are adding the spinach into a curry or soup, removing the excess water will reduce sliminess and improve the overall texture. However, if you simply want to serve it as an accompaniment, this recipe from Scrummy Lane requires just a handful of additional ingredients to transform it into something truly tasty.

Sautéed frozen spinach

Ingredients

• Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over at the end
• Three cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
• 10 ounces (284 grams) spinach
• One lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the sliced garlic for approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
2. Add all of the spinach to the pan. Using two wooden spoons or a pair of kitchen tongs, turn the spinach and garlic in the pan until it has wilted down.
3. It is now ready to serve, though if you are serving directly from the pan, you may want to continue cooking for an additional minute or two to allow any remaining water to evaporate.
4. Move to an serving dish or plate. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze over half of the lemon. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
5. Serve alongside the remaining lemon, cut into segments for additional squeezing if desired.